The Chhattisgarh High Court has directed the state chief secretary to file a personal affidavit on the enforcement of plastic ban laws in the state, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging large-scale failure in implementation of regulations against single-use plastic and non-biodegradable materials.
A division bench comprising chief justice Ramesh Sinha and justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal passed the order on May 4 and fixed the next hearing for May 13.
The PIL was filed by Raipur-based environmental activist Nitin Singhvi, who sought effective implementation of the Chhattisgarh Plastic and Other Non-Biodegradable Material (Regulation of Use and Disposal) Act, 2020, the Plastic Waste Management Rules and provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
The court directed the state counsel to immediately communicate the order to the Chief Secretary for compliance.
According to the petition, despite several notifications issued by the state government since 2014 banning plastic carry bags and regulating non-biodegradable materials, prohibited plastic products continue to remain in circulation across Chhattisgarh.
The petitioner alleged that authorities, including the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB), failed to enforce the ban effectively and largely focused on penalising small vendors instead of targeting illegal manufacturing and large-scale distribution networks.
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{{/usCountry}}The plea said unchecked plastic waste has led to severe environmental consequences, including choking of drains, pollution of soil and water bodies, and threats to wildlife, vegetation and agricultural land.
Singhvi also sought the constitution of a high-level committee headed by the additional chief secretary to monitor implementation of the plastic ban and prepare a coordinated action plan.
During the hearing, the petitioner detailed his earlier environmental litigations before the high court, including cases related to elephant protection, tiger conservation, noise pollution, illegal forest rights, plastic pollution and wildlife translocation.
The petition referred to previous orders passed by the high court in 2018 in a similar PIL concerning plastic pollution, where the court had observed that enforcement efforts against non-biodegradable plastic needed to become a “persistent effort”.
The plea also cited Supreme Court observations in matters concerning plastic carry bags and single-use plastics, including a 2012 observation warning that unchecked plastic pollution could pose a threat more serious than an “atom bomb” for future generations.
The petitioner argued that repeated representations made to authorities, including the chief secretary and the Housing and Environment Department, failed to yield concrete action and were met with delays and bureaucratic inaction.
Taking note of the submissions, the high court directed the chief secretary to place the government’s response on record through a personal affidavit before the next hearing.